This chapter provides an overview of the political economic forces that created a precarious situation for one of the main characters of the book, Ramón García. It discusses how migrants from the ...
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This chapter provides an overview of the political economic forces that created a precarious situation for one of the main characters of the book, Ramón García. It discusses how migrants from the interior of Mexico came to relocate to Tijuana and what happened once they encountered the economic opportunities present in the borderlands. The chapter also discusses the migration and labor-market strategies that people use and the social networks that people form in the borderlands to help to construct their livelihood options. It includes an examination of the broader theoretical issues of border regulation and national status, as exemplified by official documentation, such as passports.Less

Crafting Border Livelihoods

Sergio Chávez

Published in print: 2016-04-01

This chapter provides an overview of the political economic forces that created a precarious situation for one of the main characters of the book, Ramón García. It discusses how migrants from the interior of Mexico came to relocate to Tijuana and what happened once they encountered the economic opportunities present in the borderlands. The chapter also discusses the migration and labor-market strategies that people use and the social networks that people form in the borderlands to help to construct their livelihood options. It includes an examination of the broader theoretical issues of border regulation and national status, as exemplified by official documentation, such as passports.

Based on observations and in-depth interviews, Border Lives tells the story of how diverse groups of individuals came to establish roots in Tijuana, beginning shortly after the termination of the ...
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Based on observations and in-depth interviews, Border Lives tells the story of how diverse groups of individuals came to establish roots in Tijuana, beginning shortly after the termination of the Bracero Program (1942–64) and ending in the present. It describes how these different groups of migrants and residents adapt to a dynamic borderlands economy and draw on the border as a resource to construct their livelihoods. The book details the consequences of border-enforcement and immigration restrictions over several decades, documenting the ways in which policies create precarious situations for those who cross the border and come in contact with them on a regular basis. The book shows how individuals have used the border as a resource in the past, and how current residents are forced to seek ways to access the opportunities that the border offers in the future. Yet for all of these border crossers—former, current, and future—the border itself figures significantly, not only in their livelihood strategy but also in their lifestyle, shaping their knowledge, action, and their relationships, controlling their time, and allowing them to convert US wages into a Mexican standard of living, without losing the social and cultural comforts of Tijuana-as-home.Less

Sergio Chávez

Published in print: 2016-04-01

Based on observations and in-depth interviews, Border Lives tells the story of how diverse groups of individuals came to establish roots in Tijuana, beginning shortly after the termination of the Bracero Program (1942–64) and ending in the present. It describes how these different groups of migrants and residents adapt to a dynamic borderlands economy and draw on the border as a resource to construct their livelihoods. The book details the consequences of border-enforcement and immigration restrictions over several decades, documenting the ways in which policies create precarious situations for those who cross the border and come in contact with them on a regular basis. The book shows how individuals have used the border as a resource in the past, and how current residents are forced to seek ways to access the opportunities that the border offers in the future. Yet for all of these border crossers—former, current, and future—the border itself figures significantly, not only in their livelihood strategy but also in their lifestyle, shaping their knowledge, action, and their relationships, controlling their time, and allowing them to convert US wages into a Mexican standard of living, without losing the social and cultural comforts of Tijuana-as-home.

This chapter summarizes the key findings and discusses at length the theoretical contributions that came from studying border life. The book yielded four key theoretical insights. Tijuanenses ...
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This chapter summarizes the key findings and discusses at length the theoretical contributions that came from studying border life. The book yielded four key theoretical insights. Tijuanenses employed a variety of migration (internal, international, and stepwise) and border-crossing strategies (commuting) and some were able to substitute border commuting for international migration to take advantage of US labor markets. Relocation to the border also meant that migrants and residents were able to capitalize on formal and informal economic opportunities on both sides of the border: they obtained access to legal documents, learned how to cross the border, and expanded their ties that provided knowledge and information for living a transborder life.Less

Conclusion : Lessons from Tijuana

Sergio Chávez

Published in print: 2016-04-01

This chapter summarizes the key findings and discusses at length the theoretical contributions that came from studying border life. The book yielded four key theoretical insights. Tijuanenses employed a variety of migration (internal, international, and stepwise) and border-crossing strategies (commuting) and some were able to substitute border commuting for international migration to take advantage of US labor markets. Relocation to the border also meant that migrants and residents were able to capitalize on formal and informal economic opportunities on both sides of the border: they obtained access to legal documents, learned how to cross the border, and expanded their ties that provided knowledge and information for living a transborder life.